This image and these words capture what was for many one of the most magical moments during the fourth New Paths spring festival: the balcony scene from West Side Story, which stole the show in our Saturday night gala concert, A Night at the Movies. The performance by Aoife Miskelly and Robin Bailey was unforgettable and brought the house down.
For others, the late-night performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time by Libby Burgess, Eva Thorarinsdottir, Tim Lowe and John Slack, in the packed Quire of Beverley Minster was profoundly moving.
Lots of festivalgoers joined us on the entire ‘Schubert Odyssey’ – including the talk by Richard Stokes, at which there was standing room only – and found that journey to be an epic experience.
The festival smashed its box office targets with sellout events across the long weekend. From the start on Wednesday morning, concerts drew large audiences from the local community and throughout the UK. In total more than 3,000 seats were taken and our ‘Golden Ticket’ scheme – free tickets for under-18s to all concerts – was more popular than ever before.
The photo gallery traces the festival from beginning to end through more than 20 electrifying musical events. In them we can see something of the joy and passion of the performers and audiences alike.
But it is very difficult to put into words the “special kind of feeling” (to quote the closing chorus from The Wind in the Willows) which the festival created in the town. The camaraderie among and between the musicians and audience, together with a love for music, a seriousness of purpose, a warmth of sociability, and the magic of Beverley itself, combine to create an atmosphere in which imaginations fly, musicians take risks, audiences open their hearts, energy becomes infectious, and breathtaking beauty flourishes.
We’re very proud of what this hidden gem of a festival has achieved in a few short years. And we cannot wait to welcome you to our fifth festival in 2020.
